LOC22:07
19:07 GMT
BRUSSELS, Jan 28 (KUNA) -- The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) on Wednesday condemned the killing of the Iraqi photographer Adnan Abdul-Razzaq and the reporter Ali Al-Ansari.
Abdul-Razza was reportedly murdered by ISIL in Mosul while Al-Ansari was fatally injured last Friday while covering the battles between the Iraqi army and the ISIL in Mekdadyah, north of Baghdad.
"The escalation of violence that has now hit the Middle East is getting unbearable," said IFJ's president Jim Boumelha.
"The International Federation of Journalists is putting a considerable effort to support its member unions in the region to protect their journalists.
"We extend our condolences to these killed journalists' family and friends. This latest outrage underlines the massive efforts needed to create the best conditions for the journalists so they can do safely their daily job," he said in a statement.
Al-Ansari is the first journalist killed in Iraq this year and the third one in the Middle East, after the killing of reporters Khalid Mohammed al-Washli in Yemen and Aqil Mohammad Waqar in Afghanistan in the past weeks.
Last year eight journalists were killed in Iraq.
The Brussels-based IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 134 countries. (end)
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